Arthur l



A. L. STAPLES.

HAND LAMP SWITCH. APPLICATION mzo NOV. 11. 1919.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

2% 1252 [a 511 4 attozwmza Ur ale 6 To whom mytomm;

ARTHUR L. STAPLES, or NEW HAVE CONNECTICUT Assrenon ro wrucrmsrnn mnn'rmennuseommny, orymmw HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ACORPORATION p or comq ie'rrcon I 1,349,860..

"Be'it kno n that I, ARTHUR acitize'n ofth'e United statestfr'esiding at NeWHaVeriQfin the ount of N ew Haven,

State of "Connecticut, have inyented" certain new and useful Improvements in Hand- Lamp Switches fand' l' do hereby declare; the following to be a fi ll jcleaif, and exact H description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe artito which it ap pertains to make and" use the same, x

he present invention relatesto portable 'electric'lamps 'compri's'inga casing, a 'battery" and an incandescent lamp mounted therein, and'a contact device on the casing o 1 by which the flow ofcurrent 'ofro m the battery through the maybe'controlled:

atwill." o t p:

In a portable I lamp v of this ;characte1,fit is a desirable that the user shal'l'b'e able 7 to flash thejjlamp; 'thttfis; Ii'ghtit' for short periodsof time; a'sin' signalingfor for such length" of time as'it"is convenient for the ope'rator' to hold his thumb on the contact dam It is also desirable that means be provided for closingthe switch to light theklamp for a a longer period of time andwithoutfthe'need" "for: continuous" thumb pressure; on the con: tactmechamsm..

' It is ""an object of the present intention i to provide a handTlamp with a 'contactj Vmechanism so arranged that the lamp can 1 befiashed or canfb'e permanently lighted as desired, but wi th the additional feature that the'jcontact mechanism can be locked in open-circuit' positionto prevent inadvertent closing- 'o f' the' switch through accidental pressureon the fcontaotdevice; This per constructed in iniven 0 1;i'

mits the handlamp to'be carriedabolit with v tools or in the, ocket of an "automobile door withoutjthe anger that when theflazmp I is needed its battery will hefound exhausted I l eila e, h bl' gh; c d n t o lc fi h r h closed fand. the lamp been; lighted' been without theknowledge (of the iusergg 3 t -Other "objectsfand adi 'entages'will 7 (came apparent from the following descrip{;. j 1 tion, ,which is to; be ltaken inconjunction with gthe' accompanying' drawings; Wherein- Figure 1 is "an {elevation of a hand I weee ce w h; he Pre en L. STAPLES;

i AN -LAMP swiro r Specification of Letters Patent; Pate t d A 17 1920 I I hip lic a tion filed November 11, Serial. 1%; 49 1 ;l H ,7

Fig 2 is a longitudinal section on the line I 0f Fig.1; v p 7 p 4 I i m arged detail of the contact devicey" W 4; is a longitudinal section on the line a transverse: section on the FIgS'. 6 and 7 correspond to l igyi except that sliding member is in differentposi- Fig. and

10. shows the tangs o'n the sliding j,

memberf and how they are bent to form a locklnglug. In theembodimentillustrated, a 'casingl with the inner fterrninal ofthe lamp 8; and

' the outer or: threadedterniinal of the l'am 'i isfconnectedyas'through areflector 9, with a conductor 10', which may be in the form' of a flat strip, and leads to a'contact device convenientlypositioned near the middle of the casing' The'ilamp is provided with a lens heldiin position by, a flanged threaded collar 125'ha ingengagement with, a threaded ring 13; mountedon the front end oftuhevl. Prcler'ablythe peripheryfof reflector 9. is insulated from collar 12 and ring lS to "prevent inadvertent lighting of theilamp when the handlamp :is laid down;

The contact mechanism 7 comprises an cutcheon 14 connected to thebottom of the/ lowermost dry cellj5f, as through a flat'strip 15; then per end'of" which is rivctedfto escutc eon and'the lower end of which is jtucked under and makes connection with thejjinwardly extending'flange of ring 2' and so is in electrical connection with'the battery through cap 3 and springs. Mount ed on thisescutcheonffplate and preferably ore assembly thereon f of the 9 is a amn oi -the S ring member;

1 of fiber, or other suitable niaterial, is"pr.o

vided at its bottom end with a threaded ring 2on which is mounted a bottom cap of metal carrying coiled spring 4 which engage's'the naked bottom'of the lowermo st dry 'cell 5. Theisupp'ermos't dry cell 6 has its :inner or carbon electrode 7 in Contact integral therewith is a housing 16. Within this housing is a contact member 17 preferably in the form of a spring fastened to the housing at its lower end, as by means of a rivet l8, and movable'at its upper end into and out of contact with a contact member 19, which may be an integral part of strip 10, or may in other ways be in electrical connection therewith and with the lamp. The spring member has a relatively large push button or thumb-piece 20- which is exposed at an opening in housing 16 but does not project appreciably above the outer face of the housing.

To facilitate assembly of the device, and

adjustment of the width of the air gap at lug 19, the spring member 17 carries a spring finger 21 integral with thumb-piece 20 and folded back thereunder, as shown in Figs.

6 and 9. During assembly, this can be bent toward or away from lug 19, as occasion may require;

The structure above described can be manipulated by pressure on the thumbpiece 20 of the flexible spring member 17 to flash the lamp. The structure can be laid down on a flat surface without danger of closing the switch for the thumb-piece 20 is guarded by the encircling edge of the housing.

To permit the lamp to remain lighted without the need for continued pressure on the thumb-piece 20, there is provided a locking means comprising an auxiliary.

thumb-piece 22 with integral tangs 23 adapted to pass through slots 24 (Fig. 8) in housing 16 and then to be bent, as shown in Figs. 5 and 10, to form a lug 25 of special shape, as hereinafter described.

This lug projects into and through a slot 26 in spring member 17 (Fig. 9). The front end of lug 25 has a notch or recess 27 which, on forward movement of thumbpiece 22, engages the adjacent end of-slot 2G and so locks the spring member 17 in open-circuit position. By having recess 27 slightly out of alinement with the opposing metal edge, the forward movement of thumb-piece 22 will crowd thumb-piece 2O outward against the housing, and so will put enough spr ng tenslon on the spring.

member 17 to-prevent a too easy disengagement at notch 27. There'is thus little likelihood of accidental unlocking through inadvertent backward pressure on auxiliary thumb-piece 22. e

.Vith the parts in the position shown in Fig. l, the rear corner 28 of lug 25 strikes against the adjacent end of slot 26., and prevents the movement of thumb-piece 22 to the position shown in Fig. 6 but thumb pressure on thumb-piece 20 will. so flex the spring member l7that the rear corner 28 of lug 25 will clear. the end of the slot and the lug can be moved to the position shown burned continuously.

in Fig. 6, where it serves to hold the spring element 17 in circuit-closing position and obviates the need for continued pressure on the contact device when the lamp is to be 22 is locked against rearward movement and thumb-piece 20 can be freely manipulated to flash thelamp, and that whenfa permanent light is desired, the thumb of the operator can be wiped down across the thumb-piece 20 to unlock lug 28, and there after can slide auxiliary thumb-piece 22 into the position shown in Fig. 6, and the lamp will burn continuously. Or, if the lamp is to be packed away and lighting is 1 to be avoided, the auxiliary thumb-piece can be moved from the position shown in Fig. a to the position shown in Fig. 7 and] not only will the spring member 17 be locked in open-circuit position, but the resiliency of'that member will prevent inad vertent return ofthumbpiece 22 to the position shown in Fig. 4.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the details of thepresent invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as defined by the appended claims.

,I claim:-.- V .1. A contact device for battery hand lamps, comprising a spring member having a push button manually operable to fiex the springmember into circuit-closing position, and means manually movable into engagement vwith said spring member to lock said member in closed position or in open positionas desired. v f

.2. A contact device for battery hand lamps, comprising a spring member manu ally operable for instantaneous contact, locking means movable into. engagement with said spring member to hold said memher, in closed position when a continuous. light isdesired, said locking means bein itself locked against movement until said ber fastened at one end to said housing and v movable at its other end to close the circuit,

and means-movable along said housing into locking engagement with the outer face of said spring member when the circuit is to remain closed, and movable in the other direction into locking engagement .with the inner face of'said spring member when closing of the circuit is to beavoided.

6. A contact device for battery hand lamps, comprising a housing,,a spring member secured at one end to saidhousing and having a push button at its other end manually operable to flex the spring-member and thereby close the circuit through the lamp,

and av thumb-piece mounted to slidealong said housing and carrying :meansengageable with said s ring member'to lock it in open position w ien lighting of the lamp is to be avoided.

7. A contact device for battery hand lamps, comprising a housing, a spring member mounted therein and movable a to close the circuit, a push-button for actuating said spring member-and a thumb-piece mounted to slide in one direction along said housing and having means to hold the spring member in closed-circuit position, said thumbpiece being itself so shaped as to be locked by the spring member until after the spring member-has been depressed; I

8. A contact 7 device for battery hand lamps, comprising a housing, a spring member secured thereto at one end and movable means carried by said housing and movable in one direction after depression of said spring member to hold said spring member in closed-circuit position,saidmean s being so shaped that when moved in the other direction it Will engage said sprin in its open-circuit position an lock it lamp is to be avoided. v

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

v ARTHUR L. S" APLES.

member a ainst movement when lighting of the" r- '40 at its other end to close the circuit, and 

